Handle for suction cleaners



Apn] 29, 1947. F. s. HOWARD HANDLE FOR SUCTION CLEANERS Filed Jan. 15, 1945v 2 Sheets-Shoat l I April 29, 1947. F. s. HOWARD I 2,419,554

HANDLE FOR SUCTION CLEANERS Filed Jan. 15, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Apr. 29,1947

HANDLE FOR SUCTION CLEANERS Frank S. Howard, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Birtman Electric Company, a corporation of Illinois Application January 15, 1945, Serial No. 572,834

7 Claims.

This invention relates to an improved handle for suction cleaners and relates particularly to such a handle that can be easily positioned at a number of elevations from the floor.

In the floor type suction cleaner which has the usual cleaner body and attached handle for propelling the cleaner around the room, it has been found necessary to construct the handle so that it can be placed in one position and be held there unsupported by the operator. These handles in the past have been oftentimes bulky and the means for holding them in position have not been entirely satisfactory. In this invention, I have provided an improved handle structure that is light in weight and that can very easily be adjusted to any one of a number of given positions by merely turning the handle around its central axis. Thus, when the handle is in one position and it is desired to change it to another, the operator of the cleaner merely turns the handle a short way in either direction and the catch on the bottom of the handle isa'eleased and can then be moved to a new position.

The invention will be described as related to the embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings.

Of the drawings, Fig. l is an elevation, partially broken away, of the standard floor type of cleaner and the new handle; Fig. 2 is a section taken along line 22 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a section taken along line 3-3 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a section taken along line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

In the drawings, there is shown a suction cleaner I 0, the new handle H attached thereto, and a dust bag l2. The dust bag and the handle are attached to the cleaner in the usual positions. The new handle, which is the subject of this invention, is the usual tubular structure having a circular cross section at its lower end, as is found in most cleaners of this type. At the bottom of the handle, where it joins on to the cleaner, is located a surrounding reinforcement l3. This reinforcement is held by two pivot bars [4 arranged in line with each other and in a horizontal position so that the handle I I can be turned about this pivot in a substantially vertical plane. The reinforcement I3 also contains a set screwl5 which extends into the handle and around which is located an oval slot lying transverse tothe length of the handle. This set screw [5 and oval slot iii are provided so that the handle may be turned around its central axis for a short distance. The locking mechanism whereby the handle structure is locked in one of any given positions comprises an arcuate plate I? mounted in the cleaner beyond the bottom of the handle, with the plate lying in an arcuate plane substantially at right angles to the vertical plane of movement of the handle ii. This plate has a radius of curvature that is substantially centered at the pivot of the handle. The plane of curvature of the plate is substantially within the plane of movement of the handle. On the edge of the plate ii, there are provided a number of notches 29. These notches are engaged by an extension piece G8, which is normally held in notch-engaging position by means of a coil spring l9. In order to provide for removing the extension from any given notch, there is located at the bottom of the handle structure an auxiliary piece 20 extending from the extension I8 to the bottom of the handle II. This auxiliary piece is held in position within the reinforcement I3. The end of the auxiliary piece, which contacts the handle H, has a rounded surface 2| which engages a rounded notch at the bottom of the handle.

In the structure described above, the extension l8 on the bottom of the handle structure may be removed fromengagement with any given notch by merely turning the handle II. This turning causes the auxiliary piec 20 to be moved out of engagement with the notch on the bottom of the handle and thereby is pushed forward. The

forward movement causes the extension to move out of engagement with its notch and the handle may thereupon be moved to a different position for engagement with another notch. As soon as the handle is in position with this second notch on the arcuate plate H, the handle is turned back to its original position and the extension thereupon engages a new notch. In order to assist in properly locating the handle, there is provided a ball 23 in.the handle reinforcement I 3 and this ball presses against a small hole 25 that is located in the handle H. The ball is held in engagement with this hole by means of a spring 24. Thus, as soon as the handle is turned to its normal position, the ball 23, under the urging of spring 24, rolls into the hole 25 and locks. the handle in its correct position.

The description of the operation of the new handle I I, given hereinabove, is for removing the extension I8 from a notch 29 in order to lower the handle from an upper position to a lower one. When moving the handle from horizontal position, to operating position, and on up to vertical position, there is no need to turn the handle about its axis as the extension piece I8 slides over the notches 29. This is arranged for by providing the notches with gradually sloped surfaces on the receding or lower ends to present no definite stopwear on the cord by raisin and lowering the handle, the bottom end of the handle structure is provided with generally rounded edge portions 21' in the shape of a bell. B means of this structure, sharp bending of the cord is avoided.

In the suction cleaner described herein the handle ll extends into the cleaner body 10 and is pivotally mounted thereon by pivot members arranged in line on opposite sides of the cleaner body. These pivot members may have the form of round bars Id extending from the outer surface of the cleaner body into the handle reinforcement l3 and are preferably threaded on their outer ends so that they can be screwed into the cleaner body and thus held in position. Because of this construction it is now no longer necessary to provide an outer covering for the pivot members as they have a pleasing effect on the eye and do not need to be covered. This elimination of outer covering makes the cleaner lighter in weight as well as cheaper to construct, and it is easier to remove the handle for repair work if such becomes necessary.

When it is desired to use the cleaner under very low structures such as beds or the like, the handle of the cleaner may be moved to a horizontal position. This is done by releasing the notchengaging extension piece H3 in the manner described above. The handle is then lowered to its horizontal position and is supported by a rest 28. In this position, the extension piece l8 does not engage any of the notches, but merely rests on a curved portion 39 of the handle structure.

Having described my invention in considerable detail, as exemplified by one embodiment of the same, it is to be understood that I am not limited by these details unless otherwise specified, but rather it is my intention that the invention be construed broadly within its spirit and scope, as set out in the accompanying claims.

I claim:

1. A handle structure for a suction cleaner or the like capable of being easily adjusted to one of a number of given positions in a substantially vertical plane cornprising a handle extending into the cleaner, a pivot within the cleaner about which the handle may be turned, a generally arcuate fixed plate mounted in the cleaner and beyond the bottom end of the handle with the center of its radius of curvature substantially coinciding with the center of pivot of the handie, a plurality of notches in the arcuate plate, a movable extension piece on the bottom of said handle structure extending outwardly normally to engage one of said notches and hold the handle in a given position, and-means for disengaging the e movable extension piece from its engaged notch by turning the handle about its central axis.

2. A handle structure for a suction cleaner or the like capable of being easily adjusted to one of a number of given positions in a substantially vertical plane comprising a handle extending into the cleaner, a pivot within the cleaner about which the handle may be turned, a generally arcuate fixed plate mounted in the cleaner and beyond the bottom of the handle with said plate lying substantially within the vertical plane of movement of the handle and with the radius of curvature of the plate centered substantially at the pivot of the handle, a plurality of notches in the arcuate plate, a movable extension piece on the bottom of said handle structure extendin beyond the handle normally to engage one of said notches and hold the handle in a given position, an auxiliary piece on the bottom of the handle adjacent the extension piece, and means for changing the position of the auxiliary piece in order to press against the said movable extension and disengage it from its notch.

31A handle structure for a suction cleaner or the like capable of being easily adjusted to one of a number of given positions in a substantially vertical plane comprising a handle extending into the cleaner and capable of being turned from side to side about its central axis, a pivot within the cleaner about which the handle may be turned,

a generally arcuate plate mounted in the cleaner and beyond the bottom of the handle with said piate lying substantially within the vertical plane of movement of the handle and with the radius of curvature of the plate centered substantially at the pivot of the handle, a plurality of notches in the arcuate plate, an extension piece on the bottom of said handle structure extending beyond the handle normally to engage one of said notches and hold the handle in a given position, an auxiliary piece on the bottom of the handle adjacent the extension piece, and means for changing the position of the auxiliary piece by turning the handle about its central axis in order to press the auxiliary piece against the said extension and disengage it from its notch.

4. A handle structgre for a suction cleaner or the like capable of being easily adjusted to one of a number of given positions in a substantially vertical plane comprising a handle extending into the cleaner and capable of being turned from side to side about its central axis, a pivot within the cleaner about which the handle may be turned in a substantially vertical plane, a plate mounted the cleaner beyond the bottom of the handle with said plate lying inan arcuate plane substantially at right angles to the vertical plane of movement of the handle and with the radius of curvature of the plate centered substantially at the pivot of the handle, a plurality of notches in one edge ofsaid plate, an extension piece on the bottom of said handle structure extending beyond the handle normally to engage one of said notches and hold the handle ina given position, an auxiliary piece on the bottom. of the handle adjacent the extension piece, and means for changing the position of the auxiliary piece by turning the handle about itscentral axis in order to press the auxiliary piece against the said extension and disengage it from its notch.

5-. A handle structure for a suction cleaner as set out-in claim 4 wherein there is provideda spring -on saidextension piece normally holding said extension piece in notch-engaging position.

6. A handle structure for a suction cleaner as set out in claim 4 wherein said auxiliary piece is slidably'held by a bottom reinforcement in said handle structure and extends from the said extension to the bottom of the handle, and a notch in the bottom of the handle engaging the handle end of said auxiliary piece.

7. A handle structure for a suction cleaner or the like capable of being adjusted to one of a number of given positions around a pivot near the bottom of the handle wherein said handle is hollow with an electric cord running down through the interior thereof to the cleaner and the handle structure is flared outwardly on two opposite sides of the cord from a point near the pivot to the bottom of the handle to avoid bend- 15 2,039,861

ing the cord sharply when the handle structure is moved from position to position in substantially the plane of theoutward flares.

FRANK S. HOWARD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,373,274 Taylor Apr. 10, 1945 2,226,365 Becker Dec. 24, 1940 1,965,361 Watts July 3, 1934 Watts May 5, 1936 

